The Verdict
The Elite Gourmet 12.5Qt Ceralast electric skillet is a high-capacity cooking tool designed for family-sized meals using a durable, PFAS-free ceramic surface. It combines 1500 watts of heating power with deep sidewalls, making it a practical alternative for roasting, frying, or baking without needing your main oven.
Why We Love It (Key Features)
- Ceralast Ceramic Coating: This PFAS-free, scratch-resistant surface provides a reliable non-stick experience, allowing you to cook a wide variety of meals without worrying about harsh chemicals or food sticking.
- Temperature Precision: With a removable, adjustable control probe that ranges from 200°F to 400°F and a fully embedded heating element, you get consistent, even heat across the entire surface.
- Extra-Deep Design: The 15" x 12" x 4" pan is built for volume, easily handling meals for 6 to 8 people while the high walls minimize messy grease splatters on your counters.
- Effortless Cleanup: The cast aluminum body is designed to resist warping, and because the control probe is detachable, both the pan and the tempered glass lid can be cleaned in the dishwasher.
Pros & Cons
- Pros: Spacious 12.5-quart capacity, PFAS-free non-stick surface, dishwasher-safe components, and even heat distribution across the 1500W element.
- Cons: The large 15" x 12" footprint requires significant dedicated counter space; also, only top-rack dishwasher cleaning is recommended for the skillet body.
Who Should Buy This?
This skillet is an excellent choice for home cooks managing large families or those who frequently host gatherings and need to prepare substantial quantities of food at once. It is particularly useful for apartment dwellers or anyone looking to save energy by avoiding the use of a full-sized oven for roasting, frying, or baking.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the ceramic electric skillet easy to clean?
Yes, once you remove the adjustable temperature probe, both the skillet body and the tempered glass lid are dishwasher safe, though the skillet itself should be placed on the top rack.
What is the temperature range of the Elite Gourmet ceramic electric skillet?
The unit features a removable control probe that allows you to manually adjust the temperature precisely between 200°F and 400°F.
Can I cook for a large group with this pan?
Absolutely. The 15" x 12" x 4" dimensions are designed to feed 6 to 8 people, making it well-suited for family dinners and parties.
5.0 out of 5 stars Can I give 10 stars? Why did I wait so long?? I like making burgers, grilled cheese and scrambled eggs but I used to HATE cleaning my frying pan.Enter this wonderful electric skillet. I was making burgers tonight and I am still in awe of how great this is to cook on. Using my usual pan (never again) I would have to spend about 10 minutes and scrub with a brush first, then more soap, then the scrubbie and double check too be sure I got all of the meat off of the pan. Ugh! I would skip cooking a decent dinner for myself because I couldn’t get past the idea of having to clean the pan!I’ve made scrambled eggs with lots of cheese and no butter to grease the pan. First, it doesn’t stick while I’m cooking. And if a tiny bit is left at the end it just wipes right off with a wet paper towel for me.I chose the 7.5 qt because I especially wanted the diamond-shaped coating and the dishwasher safe feature. I’m glad I did chose bigger than I originally wanted because it has plenty of surface area to cook on. I made four burgers tonight and it took barely any time. Did I mention that they were frozen when I started? And they were turkey burgers so no grease to stop them sticking either. And they STILL didn’t stick!I give it a quick bit of soap and hot water, run my hand along the surface of it because I’m picky about no food being stuck to anything, and a good rinse without having to worry if I get water in the plug area. Again, I wanted the dishwasher safe so I’d know that if I got water in it I wouldn’t have to worry about how long it would take to dry or “did I break it?”As for the heating coil, I start it out low while I’m preparing things and move it up a bit at a time (within 5 minutes) I want it to last a good long time and it seems that some people have a problem with the heating element burning a pattern into the pan.I figure if I do it my way that the metal and coating will be able to warm up slowly and instead of going from 0 to 350 instantly because the can heat fast, even doing it my way. It’s only my theory about moving the heat up slowly so it’s up to you if that’s what you want to do. If I remember I’ll update this review in a year. Many people write that and don’t do it so we’ll see if I write in a year.I only use my silicone spatula that I bought at the same time. It’s a really big one that the burgers fit on just fine. And that’s easy to clean too 🙂
5.0 out of 5 stars Do not hesitate-- worth the money! I went from an open-type griddle with a great drain that really needed replaced. I was hesitating because my griddle was perfectly non-stick, but I got tired of not being able to cover the food that’s cooking. I didn’t have much hope when I ordered this because of the grease not draining as I cooked bacon, but to be completely honest, I’m more than happy with this!It’s light and easy to move around, but big enough to cook a large meal. I drop everything because of loss in my hand functions and I’ve never had a problem holding onto this. There is also an easy-pour spout on the side that is very handy if you’re pouring liquid out!It wipes out VERY EASILY, even if it’s burnt-on. However, I also run it through my dishwasher a few times a month and it comes up perfectly new and clean!I’m currently waiting for my husband to mess-up and use a metal spatula with it to see if it scratches. Currently I use silicone only and have had no issues with the coating.As far as cooking, I always notice these devices have “hot spots”, meaning that in certain spots your food may burn. This is pretty typical, but I’ve noticed that this heats pretty evenly. I hope it stays that way! It also heats up really quickly, which is nice because my electric top stove takes forever!!I use this almost every day and so far, I’d definitely purchase another one, but I feel the quality is good enough that I won’t have to! If you’re hesitating… don’t! You won’t regret this purchase.Variation: Size: 10.5Qt
4.0 out of 5 stars Good Construction - Heating Consistency Questionable I bought this to replace my former electric skillet of a different company and I think it’s inherent in these that heating near the perimeter of the pan is never even with the center. I cooked 3 eggs – 2 of them were near the center while the third was near the edge. The one was still runny while the other two were much less so. The Elite Gourmet takes a bit longer to heat up and doesn’t seem as hot as my previous model so best to adjust the temperature upwards. The construction is solid and right now the non stick service is extremely easy to clean, just follow the accompanying directions. Although the skillet is supposedly ‘dishwasher safe’ I would refrain from this and hand wash with soft sponge in warm water. So far, I’m overall pleased with the Elite Gourmet as no two skillets cook the same. I can’t emphasize enough to read to accompanying instruction book. There is also a book of recipes that look quite interesting. For the money, I would recommend but keep in mind the points mentioned above.
5.0 out of 5 stars So far so good! Makes bulk meal prep a breeze! What prompted me to purchase this item:I made a filthy cabbage recipe I saw on Instagram and it was delicious! But it only lasted 3 days. The pan was OVERFLOWING and it took forever to cook down. I realized I didn’t have a pot or pan big enough to handle that dish efficiently and I didn’t feel like dirtying multiple pans or standing over the stove for an hour just stirring and adding, stirring and adding.I intended to essentially double the recipe to make it last longer and looked for the biggest electric pan to accommodate that volume, and this is what I found.This thing handled 4 lbs of meat, 2 large cabbages, a large can of tomato paste, 3 cups of beef broth, 4 bell peppers, 2 yellow onions, a bag of crinkle cut carrots, a box of sliced mushrooms, and 2 jalapeños, like a champ! Yes, it was also overflowing, but it cut my cooking time by 75% over using an extra large cast iron the first time.All of those vegetables were in 2 large mixing bowls and on the first dump, I was able to get about a bowl and a half in. I had to wait a few minutes for that to cook down and was then able to add the rest. The only thing I don’t like is that it came with no directions. I was just guessing on the temperatures to use.Clean up was super easy—just spray and rinse. Didn’t even need to put it in the dishwasher. Only time will tell how durable this is. But for now, I can bulk meal prep so much easier than before! Now you can prepare those large bags of veggies you get from Sam’s or Costco all together and all in one go! I would often roast in my air fryer, but it would take multiple batches. I will be able to sauté as much as I want now. You can also take this to a cookout or a potluck and keep your food warm.As for value, pans these large cost a lot more than this pan cost but I don’t know if that means anything of importance. This pan is lighter than I was expecting, so maybe it’s of a lower quality than others, but I won’t know unless this one breaks in a year and I buy a more expensive one and it lasts 10 years.So I will run this pan into the ground with heavy use. If it only lasts a year, I feel $65 and hours of saved time in cooking will have been worth it.Variation: Size: 12.5Qt
5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic and versatile I love this skillet. It is so deep you can cook anything in it. I truly is non-stick without the fear of toxic chemicals in your food. Very easy to clean too. I would buy it again!Variation: Size: 12.5Qt
5.0 out of 5 stars Skillet makes dinner easy Good deal. Use 2-3times each week for large dinners. Light enough to pick up. Easily fits into small pantry. Cooks evenly and doesnt stick. Temperature control is a dial and works wellVariation: Size: 10.5Qt
5.0 out of 5 stars Great Skillet! This is the most useful skillet I have ever had. It is deep, it’s big, and it holds a lot of food. It cooks really well and it cleans out very nicely. I use it often – best skillet I’ve had in a while!Variation: Size: 12.5Qt
5.0 out of 5 stars Works great Works great, good sizeVariation: Size: 12.5Qt